Nov 24 Update: Hey everyone! OK, so yup, with two kids and a full time job now... oh and a business... my life is busy. But! I hope you didn't think I was just resting on my laurels with this story! Nope! I've been chipping away at it when time permits, and lots of new chapters have been on archive for a while, but with the release of the latest chapter today, I decided it was ready enough to be moved to FF.

All chapters published so far are either new, have been rewritten or revised. The main reason for redoing the first chapters was to build the friendship between Chris and Cass the way it should have been done years ago. Finally, that's complete! Ace chapters await... so excited!

HELLO! OK - so, this is a rewrite of - what has often been referred to as - a labour of love. Yes... there have been a few versions - why? Because the lives of the characters in this story have evolved over the years, their backstories have evolved in detail, and my writing skills have also evolved. So yeah, the previous versions were basically me working stuff out :P But this, right here, this will be the LAST and final copy.

So, grab a cuppa and a cookie, enter my world, then sit back and ride the ride...

"You'll never be worth the dirt you're standing on. You're your old man's sidekick, and that's all you'll ever be 'cos you've got no spine of your own." His uncle's words burned him inside. It felt like having his nose held to a barrel of petrol and being made to breathe in deep. He'd been lied to. Manipulated. He saw that now. But back then, he was just a kid. He wasn't vulnerable like that now... right? He had to prove himself. He'd show them all. His uncle, his father, and most importantly... himself. Because, what if he was wrong?

Genres: Crime/Action/Romance/Friendship/Drama

Disclaimer: The story is based on some of the characters from the movie Stand By Me. Credit to Stephen King for creating characters like Ace, Eyeball and Chris that we can all love and admire for different reasons. Those characters in this story have been written by my interpretation only, and there could be differences to how they were in the original book or portrayed in the movie. Vince and the rest of Cobras are also my interpretation of the movie characters.

Cassie, Keith, Natalie and Antonia, (plus a bunch more) are all original characters concocted from my own brain.

The setting: It's April, 1960. The story takes place a few months after the events of the movie. We're in Castle Rock, Oregon (like the movie, not the book).

Content warnings: Recommend 17+ audiences due to strong themes that may be triggering for some readers. This novel contains graphic descriptions of violence including fights and blood. It also contains references to drug use and underaged drinking, suicide and death. This book also contains offensive language and graphic descriptions of Vince's smelly feet. You have been warned!